Geonemertes pelaensis

Geonemertes pelaensis is a species of terrestrial Nemertea.^[1] Superficially, Geonemertes pelaensis resembles a land flatworm (family Geoplanidae) and lives in the same habitat, but it has an anterior exertile proboscis, whereas flatworms have a pharynx located in their ventral side at midlength of body. The number of eyes this nemertean can have varies between 4 and 8 ocelli.^[2]

Geonemertes pelaensis
Video file: Geonemertes pelaensis killing a spider. Observe proboscis at end of movie.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Nemertea
Class:	Hoplonemertea
Order:	Monostilifera
Family:	Prosorhochmidae
Genus:	Geonemertes
Species:	G. pelaensis
Binomial name
Geonemertes pelaensis Semper, 1863
Synonyms
Geonemertes arboricola Punnett, 1907 Geonemertes vinsoni Moore in Pantin, 1969

It is commonly found on islands in the Indo-Pacific, and has been anthropogenically introduced to Caribbean islands and Florida.^[3] Geonemertes pelaensis is a known predator of gastropoda in the wild, and isopoda, and amphipoda in laboratory settings.^[4]